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Stories About Addiction, Recovery and What's in Between

Recovery

I find meditating to be very, very helpful. At first, it was agony to be still while my thoughts spun and whirred crazily. With practice, I started to be able to slow my thinking down, temporarily quieting the squeak of the hamster wheel in my head. Meditation has helped me find a calm, quiet energy …

My own view is that anonymity can be a two-edged sword. The tradition of anonymity undoubtedly emboldens people to seek the help they need and that’s very, very important. But if the modern view is that alcoholism is a disease, the notion that those seeking treatment should be encouraged to do so in secret is outdated. I worry that our pledge of anonymity and the importance we place on it can generate or perpetuate feelings of shame and guilt—-two powerful engines of addiction.

Storytelling is a fundamental element of human existence. It has served to pass down survival tips, history and cultural identity. The great religions of the world are based on storytelling and our political institutions are wholly dependent on storytelling for propagation and reinforcement. Recovery from addiction is dependent on storytelling and hearing the stories of others has been a powerful and moving part of my own recovery.